Tim Lambesis, the frontman of Grammy-nominated metalcore band As I Lay Dying, has pleaded guilty to charges that he tried to hire a hitman to kill his wife. He faces up to nine years in jail.

Lambesis's wife, Meggan, filed for divorce in September 2012, claiming in the divorce documents that Lambesis was "obsessed with bodybuilding", neglected to properly care for their children, adopted from Ethiopia, and had spent thousands of dollars on tattoos. She also stated he had had multiple affairs during their marriage. The prosecution also alleged that he wouldn't get access to their children, and that Meggan would take a sizeable chunk of his money in the divorce, so Lambesis attempted to have her killed.

He first approached his personal trainer, Brett Kimball, who testified at a pre-trial hearing that Lambesis "wanted to know if maybe I could find someone to do it for him". Lambesis eventually met with an undercover agent posing as a hitman code-named Red who said Lambesis told him: "I don't want to see her ever again." When asked, "Do you want her dead?" Lambesis replied: "Yes, that's exactly what I want." According to prosecutors, he gave the agent $1,000 for expenses, pictures of Meggan, a code to get into their house and, to create an alibi, dates he would be looking after their children.

During the month of his initial arrest, the singer's lawyer claimed Lambesis was on steroids, stating: "His thought processes were devastatingly affected by his steroid use." Lambesis initially pleaded not guilty when arrested, before changing his plea on Tuesday.

His band As I Lay Dying were nominated for a Grammy in 2008, and have had two top 10 albums in the US. Initially a Christian along with his band members, Lambesis lost his faith in recent years; while under house arrest in 2013, during court proceedings, he said he no longer believed in God.